Anathema
by duos-deathscythe
Summary: Inspired by Deadlands. Notorious bandits Heero and Trowa bite off more than they can chew when they are captured while robbing a train and given the option of freedom under one condition: bring the evil Maxwell Demon to justice. But there is more to this "demon" than meets the eye… 1x2, 3x4
1. Prologue: The Yuy Brothers

**Anathema**

By: duos-deathscythe

Summary: Inspired by Deadlands. Notorious bandits Heero and Trowa bite off more than they can chew when they are captured while robbing a train and given the option of freedom under one condition: bring the evil Maxwell Demon to justice. But there is more to this "demon" than meets the eye…

Warnings: Eventual 1x2, 3x4. YAOI. Nothing else will be revealed due to spoilers. :3

AN: Not much to say about this chapter…the prologue of an idea that I have been tossing up in my head for a long time now. It is inspired by the tabletop role playing game called Deadlands. I have only played in Deadlands twice so I am not an expert on it…hence "inspired by" and not "based on". :P

If you guys like this please let me know. I have the whole story already written via outline.

**Prologue: The Yuy Brothers**

There was nothing in the world that could match the feel of adrenaline that overcame Heero when he was robbing a train. He rode in on his horse from the side, coming to a parallel run beside the railroad as the steam engine roared by him. The locomotive was moving fast enough that he only had one chance at boarding the exact car that was discussed in his plan and that notion made him urge Zero to run quicker. He watched his stepbrother, Trowa, ride in a distance ahead and prepared to board the front. Behind them the members of their hired help were also closing in to perform their specified duties, some boarding the train as others corralled their horses up. Heero reached out and grabbed a handle, hauling himself up and leaving his horse behind. Alone on the balcony he pulled out his pocket watch and waited.

This was the part that he hated yet it was the most delicate to handle. Everyone had to be ready at a certain time for their plan to take effect and be executed to perfection with the least injuries. The men he was with may have only been hired bandits but they were still under his command and necessary for a successful mission.

"…three…two…one…"

Heero braced himself: on cue the train lurched and would have thrown him to the floor had he not been ready for it. He could hear people inside the car scream and collide with the seats and floor, the bits of luggage stored above their heads scattering about them as all hell broke lose. As the train began to slow Heero drew a gun and burst through the door, startling the people nearby.

"I want to see all of your hands, right now!" he screamed over the chaos.

Most of the people complied immediately while others had to work through their haze before they comprehended what was going on. A few were bleeding from various scrapes caused by their tumble. Heero kept a trained eye on them and only when he was positive there was no danger did he remove the sack from his pant waist and toss it to the nearest person.

"Fill it up with what you have. If you try to hide something and I catch you, you will be losing more than just your material possessions." he threatened, watching the bag as it went from person to person and they emptied their pockets and relinquished their jewelry and money.

He gave his pocket watch a quick glimpse.

"Hurry it up already, I am getting impatient."

The process didn't speed up but it kept the people on edge and that is what he intended. It wasn't often that he came across those who wanted to make a name for themselves by saving the day from the bandits. Those unfortunate do-gooders were usually left stranded in the desert with nothing but their birthday suit and a canteen of water. As far as Heero knew his methods never caused the gruesome death of such victims…any halfwit could follow the tracks to town, generally no more than two days worth of a walk. Heero always planned for his heists to be so close to the train's destination, just in case he needed to make an example of anybody. He hated killing people.

The bag came back to him and Heero took a quick look inside. Satisfied with the loot he tied it off to his belt and drew a second gun, fingers on the triggers, as he made his way quickly through the isle. Upon reaching the other side of the car he turned back to face the people and kicked backwards to open the door. By this time the train had come to a complete stop. The bag was tossed out into the dirt.

"Coming out!" he called, following it onto the dirt.

Along the tracks he saw the bandits were still finishing up, some having already collected their loot and were waiting for the next step in their plan. The last few finished up at about the same time and Heero waited for Trowa to exit the train before he gave further orders. He brought a whistle to his lips and blew it. Riders appeared from the dunes with their horses tied up, guiding them back to their respectful owners. They were quick to mount up, securing the sacks into saddlebags: each of them wanted to finish this as soon as possible and pick through their loot. Heero made sure everyone was mounted before he did so as well, pulling himself onto Zero with ease. He gave the train a last once-over before trailing after the group.

He barely heard the gunshot before an intense pain shot through his side, the force and surprise of it knocking him from his horse. Trowa's voice was screaming for him as everything went black.

AN: Like? Don't like? Bleh? Please let me know.


	2. Chapter One: The Ride to Santa Fe

**Anathema**

By: duos-deathscythe

Summary: Inspired by Deadlands. Notorious bandits Heero and Trowa bite off more than they can chew when they are captured while robbing a train and given the option of freedom under one condition: bring the evil Maxwell Demon to justice. But there is more to this "demon" than meets the eye… (1x2, 3x4)

Warnings: Eventual 1x2, 3x4. YAOI. Nothing else will be revealed due to spoilers. :3

AN: Chapter one! Yay! Thank you for the one review I got for my prologue. I know it wasn't much to go by to judge, but that one review meant a lot to me.

Also, I changed the genre of this fic from Western / Romance to Western / Horror. I did so because those unfamiliar with Deadlands won't exactly know what they are getting into. It can pretty much be expected this will have romance in it, hence the 1x2 and 3x4.

And while I am on a roll I also forgot to add a disclaimer. So here goes:

I own nothing. At all.

**Chapter One: The Ride to Santa Fe**

"Stop now or you are both dead!"

The threat made Trowa stop in his tracks and he spared Heero a worried glance.

"On your knees and show me your hands."

Trowa complied, slowly dropping down all the while keeping his palms outstretched above him. He glowered at the man speaking to him, tall with blonde hair and icy blue eyes, stubble covering the lower half of his face. The stranger bent down over Heero's body looked him over, removing his guns and pocketing them.

He leaned back on his heels and raised his eyes to Trowa, "Yuy Brothers, eh?"

Trowa kept silent.

The man went on, "You don't look much like brothers."

"What point are you trying to make?" Trowa wanted him to cut to the chase.

The man nodded and stood, staring into the horizon for the longest time.

"Looks like your friends left you behind."

Trowa continued to glare at him and he chuckled.

"Not one for small talk are you?"

"What are you going to do with us?"

The man leisurely dug through the pocket inside of his coat and pulled out a slab of leather and held it up for Trowa to see.

"My name is Treize Khushrenada and I am a U.S. Marshal."

Trowa narrowed his eyes at him, "You aren't the one that our contacts told us was aboard."

"That is because I am not. I didn't consider myself on duty until you decided to hold my ride up." Treize informed, grabbing at his arms and twisting them behind his back to clasp on a pair of handcuffs.

Once Trowa was secured he did the same to Heero, albeit carefully.

"Fortunately for him I have cared for my fair share of bullet wounds. I will make sure he is stabilized before we make it to Santa Fe. I don't want to risk losing his life."

"You're going to let him live?" someone shouted from one of the train cars.

"Why do you care what happens to him? Our bounty says dead or alive." Trowa commented at the same time.

Treize slipped his arms around Heero's shoulders and legs, picking him up, "You first. Get in and sit down in the back seat."

Trowa did as he was instructed, not wanting to risk his or his stepbrother's life. As Treize entered the train with Heero another passenger piped up.

"You are willing to save a couple of bandits but you won't go after the ones that took off with our belongings?"

Treize laid the boy in his arms down in the floor and regarded the woman, "I am off duty. Right now I am simply a man out to protect his investments."

Following the remark Treize exited the car and made his way to the train engine. He didn't return for several minutes, probably having issues with the knotted rope that Trowa used to tie the conductor up. As he entered Treize dug around in the piles of luggage, pulling a plain black bag out of the mess. He had it open before he got back to them.

"So all we are to you are investments? You still haven't answered me. Why save his life?"

"Life is precious. If you had been through what I have you would understand that instead of gambling with your own on a daily basis." he answered, revealing basic medical tools out of his case.

"If you had been through what we have, you would understand why we do." Trowa countered.

Treize set to work removing the bullet from Heero's shoulder unflinchingly, "I don't attempt to understand the will of God. I just know to obey it."

Trowa snorted.

"What, you don't believe in God?"

"I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago, Mr. Khushrenada."

"Treize, please. And what makes you believe that God is not real?"

"If God were real I would think that he wouldn't let his people suffer as they do."

Treize snorted a laugh, "As I said…I don't attempt to understand His will. Everything happens for a reason and that is apart of His test: don't lose faith when you are surrounded by darkness and evil."

"You sound like someone who is surrounded by darkness and evil."

Treize didn't reply, concentrating on his work as the train roared to life with a jerk. Trowa was unable to see him but had a strong feeling that Heero's life was in good hands; even if it was simply by another man's faith. That thought coupled with the rocking of the train, a hard day's work, and the disappearing sun in the distance eventually lulled him to sleep.

Trowa slammed into the back of the seat in front him, startling him awake and sending him sprawling to the floor. Terrified screams echoed around him as the same thing happened to other unsuspecting passengers and in an instance he was wide awake. Panic exploded around him in the darkness and even when his eyes adjusted he still could barely see.

"Heero?" Trowa called out, seeing the familiar silhouette just a few feet away.

"What is going on?" he heard the reply, rough with sleep.

"I don't know. I think the train is stopping again." Trowa answered, squirming to sit up.

He heard a click nearby.

"I just cuffed your brother to the seat. You boys stay put." Treize's voice accompanied it, and then a bit louder, "Stay calm, I am going to see what is going on!"

Trowa saw the glint of metal in his hands as the car door opened and the marshal exited the train.

"Heero, can you break loose?" he whispered.

"Working on it. This shoulder is hurting like a bitch and the angle is awkward."

Trowa had no doubt that Heero would be able to break free, given time with his condition. It was just a matter of if they could do it before the marshal returned.

Gunshots echoed through the train and the passengers began screaming again, scrambling over one another in blindness as they tried to take cover.

"Can you tell what is going on?" Heero asked.

"Of course not, I can't see." Trowa answered matter-of-factly, "I'll be right back."

He stood on shaky feet, uncertain of his steps as he followed the path of Treize to the door. Once outside the light from the full moon above was a blessing, granting him some semblance of vision. He didn't move, knowing that if something was going on then he and Heero were sitting ducks. He was completely ready to jump back onto the train if needed. There was another round of gunfire and from what Trowa could tell it came from the engine room. He waited and watched.

"Get back on the train!" Treize screamed from the darkness.

Trowa couldn't see the other man but was able to pick up the fear and panic that laced his voice. He moved closer to the door and more gunshots were fired.

"What is going on?" he called back.

No sooner than the words leave his mouth did something slam into the top of the train, shattering the glass of the windows as the metal crunched and shifted beneath the collision. Screams erupted from the inside and Trowa was thrown to the dirt, rolling over onto his back to see what happened. From what little he could see of it left him frozen in terror: larger than any man he had ever seen, a creature stood on the edge of the roof with large bat-like wings outstretched, poised for an attack.

"Jesus Christ!" he screamed, struggling with his bonds and position on the ground to move as far back from it as he could.

It screeched; a blood-chilling sound that spread goose-bumps over his skin. The creature leapt from the roof, its wings unfurling as it took flight. Trowa lost sight of it for a moment, catching it once again in the moonlight as it arced around him and flew in from the side. A gunshot exploded from nearby, faltering the creature for just an instance before it reached out with devilish claws and grabbed Trowa tightly by the arm, taking back to the air.

"Damn it!" he heard Treize yell.

He could make out the form of the other man a few feet away near the train. The creature continued to fly up with Trowa and for a moment he was afraid for his life: his hands were cuffed behind his back and there was absolutely nothing that he could do. Treize fired another shot, missing the creature by a little bit.

"Don't worry about me, get it!" Trowa shouted, wiggling in an attempt to loosen its grip.

He winced as its claws dug into his flesh but figured it was a small wound compared to what could happen. When that resulted in nothing but more pain he tried kicking out with his long legs. He heard it but paid no mind to the second shriek he picked up from below, catching a second creature out of the corner of his eye swoop in and knock Treize to the ground. Another gunshot rang out and suddenly Trowa was covered in a warm liquid as the creature above him screamed.

And then he was falling. The dim light from the moon wasn't enough to gage the distance of the ground but Trowa knew he didn't have much time. He twirled in the air, stretching out his legs with a slight bend to his knees. He hit the earth hard, pain shooting up his legs as his knees buckled and he collapse. Treize fired more shots and Trowa hurriedly looked back into the air in time to see the creature condvulse in agony and plummet to the ground as well, landing ungracefully in a shattered heap.

"Watch out!" he shouted, warning Treize of the second one that was coming back for him.

Treize twisted around but was still clipped by it, knocking him from a sitting position to prone as it lashed out with its claws. Over the screams from the passengers Trowa heard his gun skid across the ground as the creature took to the air with him.

"Shit!" Trowa cursed, struggling in his bonds with a renewed vigor.

He saw a shadow off to his side and felt a wave of fear until it picked the discarded gun up and fired two shots into the air, aiming true as the creature screamed and fell with Treize still in its grasp. Everything went silent save for the murmurs from the train.

Trowa relaxed in his bonds, a hysterical chuckle escaping his lips, "Took you long enough."

Heero holstered Treize's gun and knelt by his step-brother, turning him over and grabbing the cuffs in each hand. He pulled as hard as he could and it was no time before the chain gave away and they came apart, freeing Trowa's arms from one another. The taller boy stretched them out in front of him to relieve the stiffness. A few feet away Treize shakily stood, starting to speak but was cut off when a series of pops startled everyone. The corpses of the two creatures near them as well as two others near the train's engine ignited in a brilliant, unearthly green fire, producing no heat and drawing their minds to it like a moth. The flames did well to illuminate the area and they were finally able to see: Treize looked worse for ware, covered in dirt and blood.

"What were those things?" Heero was the one to ask, averting his gaze from the fire to stare at Treize.

The marshal never looked away, lost in his own thoughts, "You boys can ride the rest of the way without cuffs. I may need your help if they come back."

AN: Well? What do you think of chapter one? Please let me know!


	3. Chapter Two: Proposition

**Anathema**

By: duos-deathscythe

Summary: Inspired by Deadlands. Notorious bandits Heero and Trowa bite off more than they can chew when they are captured while robbing a train and given the option of freedom under one condition: bring the evil Maxwell Demon to justice. But there is more to this "demon" than meets the eye… (1x2, 3x4)

Warnings: Eventual 1x2, 3x4. YAOI. Nothing else will be revealed due to spoilers. :3

AN: Chapter two…written at work. I'd say the majority of this story will be written at work lol. Anyway, there is some religious mumbo-jumbo in this chapter so if you are anti-Christian you may wanna cover your eyes. And no, this fic is NOT a "Christian-y" story. I say this as I write about gay men. 0.o Anyway, yeah religion backs some of it up but it is not what this fic is about.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. At all. Except for this plot idea.

**Chapter Two: Proposition**

"I'll be taking my gun back, if you don't mind."

Heero had no choice as Treize removed the pistol from his holster, returning it home in his own.

"Thank you. Now if you boys will give me a few minutes I have someone to talk to." Treize said, closing the cell door and locking it.

He left the room quickly.

"Perhaps we should have tried to make a run for it while we could." Trowa commented, taking a seat on the slab of a bed.

Heero didn't want to admit it but frankly he would have taken jail time over a chance at encountering those…things…again; especially with only one gun between the two of them.

"If you were so eager to get away you could have left me."

"You know I couldn't do that." Trowa replied, sounding a bit hurt.

"If it ever comes down to it, one of us needs to be prepared to get away if the other can't. I hate saying it but we both could have easily died last night." Heero reasoned, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.

Trowa shook his head, "I am telling you right now that I will never just leave you behind. But it sounds to me like you wouldn't return the favor…"

Heero ran a hand through his messy hair, "Used to I thought that we would never be put in a situation where that decision had to be made. Last night made me realize that our luck is running out."

"I don't like what you are saying."

"I am not asking you to. But if I am already gone, I don't want you to lose your life trying to save mine. It isn't necessary and was stupid of you to have come back for me." Heero chastised, keeping his eyes averted.

"I won't give up on your life so easily. If I am not there for you, who will be?" Trowa countered.

He was leaning forward from the bed with his elbows braced on his knees.

"You misunderstand me. I don't need you to be there for me, I need you to live." Heero corrected, standing back up, "I think it will be safe to leave now."

Trowa couldn't help but roll his eyes as he stood. It irked him to no end that his younger brother was chastising him as their parents did a long time ago. He then remembered the words that Treize spoke to him yesterday.

"If my life is so precious to you, why do you let me rob trains with you?"

Heero said nothing, grabbing the bars of the cell and pulling with all of his might. Obviously his shoulder wasn't causing him problems anymore, having healed completely as Trowa knew it would.

"Where will we go once we leave here? It's not like we have a safe place to hide out until we can gather our wits." he asked, taking a step closer to him.

Heero grunted, his arms shaking with strain. The bars groaned under his strength, finally giving away and bending with ease. Chips of rust and paint showered over them and Trowa took a step back again to avoid it, watching Heero and wishing there was something that he could do to help. They finally moved enough to allow the two of them passage through. Heero was the first out and he made sure Trowa was free as well before turning to the door. But as he reached for the knob it suddenly opened, revealing Treize on the other side. Both parties looked surprised to see the other.

Treize glanced behind them to the empty cell, "Well, that works. If you could both follow me, please."

He turned and started walking, never mind the fact that he was turning his back to two criminals. Without a word Heero took to following him with Trowa right behind him. The three of them walked through the small building, a jailhouse, and into an office room. Seated at the desk was a man with long platinum blonde hair who urged the brothers to take a seat. They complied and Treize made himself comfortable standing behind them.

"They bent the bars to get out of your cell." he said with a smirk.

The man arched an eyebrow, "Good morning. My name is Zechs Marquise and I am the law of Santa Fe."

Heero and Trowa remained quiet.

The man continued, "You two must be the infamous Yuy Brothers. I must say that I never expected either of you to come to justice, let alone come to justice in my jailhouse."

He waited for them to speak yet was again met with silence.

"I have known Treize for many years. Probably longer than the two of you have been alive, if that tells you anything, so I trust his judgment. Even if it is ludicrous." Zechs finished and gestured for Treize to pick up where he left off.

Treize cleared his throat and walked around to stand beside the other man. He pulled a few photos and parchment out of the top drawer of the desk and tossed them onto its surface. Heero and Trowa leaned in together to see what they could of the papers.

On top was an old picture of the outside of a run-down church and the one sticking out halfway beneath it was of a group of children, also very old.

"I have a proposition for you two. Have either of you boys heard of the Maxwell Demon?"

"No." Heero and Trowa said in unison.

Treize nodded, "Well he is a mass murderer. There is a bounty on his head much larger than yours and he has caused enough problems that the U.S. Marshals are getting involved. This is a kid, no older than you, and I have been after him for the better part of ten years."

"What does he have to do with us?" Trowa was the one who asked.

"Because I believe that you have what it takes to bring him down."

"What?" the brothers once again spoke together.

Of everything they expected the conversation to be, this was not it.

"Yes. I told you that I am a man of faith and I don't think that our meeting was coincidence. You see, I have to stop my pursuit of him for personal reasons and it strikes me odd that I wake up from a very enlightening dream to the two of you robbing my train home. And then you help save my life that night."

"Why are you no longer able to go after him?" Heero piped in.

Treize lowered his eyes, lips thinning into a small line, "My wife. She is dying."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Trowa said genuinely.

Treize never looked up, "When I left her to do this she was in perfect health as far as we knew. It took ten years and multiple attempts at my life from far worse than those things you saw on the train before I got the telegram. She was fine one day and the next she was dying. Nobody knows what is wrong with her or what happened. As soon as I got the message I was on the first train home. And then you two show up."

"So you encountered those things before? What were they?" Heero questioned.

When Treize finally raised his head he had tears brimming in his eyes, "I don't know. At first I thought I was losing my mind but as the attacks continued I placed the blame on one person: Satan himself."

"You believe that all of this is related to the Devil?" Trowa cut in.

"That is the only explanation I had for it at the time. And nothing has proven me wrong thus far." Treize walked over to the barred window and stared out into the busy street, "It all made sense to me. I was going for a demon…why would I not be intercepted by others? This thought scared me more than you could believe but I weathered through it. I have been blessed by priests and Indian shaman alike but none of it helped ward them off. I was doing fine on my own until I got word of my wife's sudden illness. I truly believe that since they were unable to kill me they went after the one thing that would make me stop."

"So you think that these demons just wanted you to stop in your pursuit of this Maxwell Demon?" Trowa reasoned.

"I think so, yes."

Trowa looked to Heero.

"You said you had a proposition for us," the shorter of the two reminded, "what is it?"

"As I told you, I want you to bring him to justice."

"Or what?"

"Or it's the gallows for both of you. I get no bounty reward for bringing you in. You are nothing to the people; they will serve out justice in the one way they know how."

Trowa snorted, "So it's either possible death or definite death."

"I believe that you boys have a better chance at this than you think. I don't believe in coincidence…I believe that this is God's will."

"What if I told you that I didn't believe in God?" Heero asked.

"Then I would tell you that if you did this for me than not only would you be given a clean slate, you will be rewarded the bounty for the Maxwell Demon. Dead or alive, of course."

Trowa leaned in close to his brother, "What do you think?"

"I think that our possible gains are better than our definite losses."

Trowa lowered his voice even more, "And if it starts looking rough we could always abandon it and go on our way."

Heero nodded and straightened himself, "You have a deal."

A smile of pure hope and relief washed over Treize's face and for the first time since they met him he looked like a man who just had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders.

Zechs spoke up, pointing at them, "But first I want you to fix my cell."

AN: I hope this wasn't too sudden of an ending for the chapter. Anyway, let me know what you guys are thinking!


	4. Chapter Three: The Maxwell Demon

**Anathema**

By: duos-deathscythe

Summary: Inspired by Deadlands. Notorious bandits Heero and Trowa bite off more than they can chew when they are captured while robbing a train and given the option of freedom under one condition: bring the evil Maxwell Demon to justice. But there is more to this "demon" than meets the eye… (1x2, 3x4)

Warnings: Eventual 1x2, 3x4. YAOI. Nothing else will be revealed due to spoilers. :3

AN: I want to cry when I realized just how few reviews I am getting for this. ;-; Please share the love…or the hate…I almost don't care what kinds of reviews I get at this point. Lol

I dunno, maybe I will get more as the chapters come. I know the genres were unusual…I changed them back to Western / Romance, but there is still some Sci-fi / Horror in there too.

Oh and I PROMISE you that I am not a religious psycho or planting my own religious views for or against or whatever…it goes with the plot. Trust me. So don't be turned away because of their conversation please!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the unique setting that is Deadlands…even though this fic does not take place in that setting; it was heavily inspired by it.

**Chapter Three: The Maxwell Demon**

"So tell us what you know of the Maxwell Demon." Heero said as the three of them exited the jailhouse.

The streets of Santa Fe were bustling with activity, no one paying them any mind as the people went about their own lives. Treize nodded to the man seated in the driver's chair of the carriage awaiting them as he entered. Heero and Trowa climbed in behind him and when the door was closed it took off.

"What do you want to know?"

"Do you know what his real name is? Surely his parents didn't name him 'the Maxwell Demon.'" Trowa asked first.

"His known name is Duo Maxwell. Given name, not birth name. His parents are unknown…he is an orphan. He came to live at the church in the Maxwell Settlement along with other nearby orphans when he was about two years old."

"What did he do?" Heero urged him on.

Treize took a deep breath, "No one knows exactly what happened. From what we have gathered the Maxwell Settlement housed some confederate soldiers for a short time and then one day the town was razed. It was a big deal then but no one suspected that a child, the sole survivor, was behind it. Duo was taken in and moved elsewhere and then things began happening. Anyone who made this child upset died. Nobody knew how and it was eventually assumed that he was possessed. And you can believe me when I tell you that a number of priests performed various exorcisms on him to no avail. Well, when I say to no avail I mean that the happenings didn't stop. There were obvious signs of…something…with this child but nothing could help him. It wasn't too long before the people demanded he be hanged for witchcraft."

"All of this to a child." Trowa mumbled to himself.

"No ordinary child. He evaded the public and managed to escape. He shows up every now and then with more murders under his belt. His involvement is assumed due to the nature of the victims' deaths."

"And what nature is that?" Heero asked.

"Otherworldly."

"I see. What does he look like?"

Treize dug around in the stack of papers in his hands, pulling out a photograph and handing it to him. Heero took it and observed the boy, probably fifteen years of age or so, staring at the camera in fear and shock.

"You can't see it there, but he has long hair that he wears in a braid. It is usually tucked into the back of his shirt. Brown hair, violet eyes."

"Violet?" Heero parroted with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. Unusual, isn't it?"

"It is."

Heero looked back at the picture in his hands and the boy in it. He was handsome for a street rat criminal.

"When was this taken?"

"About a year ago."

"Where was he last seen?"

"Roswell, New Mexico. Ah, here we are."

Heero and Trowa looked up and out of the small window.

"Where is 'here'?" Trowa asked him.

"Home."

Treize took the photo back and opened the door, exiting the carriage as soon as it came to a stop and all but running to the front door. Heero and Trowa followed him, never before having stepped foot into a house as amazing as the one before them. It was two stories, wash-white with large windows and a generous front porch.

"Come on in." Treize welcomed, entering in first and pausing just inside the foyer.

They waited for a short time until a figure emerged from a room on the other side.

Treize extended his arms and gave the unmoving boy a hug, "It is great to see you again, Wufei."

The boy was around Trowa's age.

"Where is Une?"

The Chinese boy gestured upstairs with a nod of his head.

"I am going to see her. Wufei this is Heero and Trowa Yuy-"

"Barton. My last name is actually Barton." Trowa cut in matter-of-factly.

Treize paused to take the information in before he went on, "I apologize. Wufei, please show Mr. Yuy and Mr. Barton to the guest rooms and if you could get started on dinner, that would be great. I will be down to help you as soon as I can."

And with that Treize disappeared upstairs. Heero, Trowa, and Wufei all exchanged an uncomfortable look with one another before the Chinese boy extended his hand for them to follow and began walking upstairs as well. He never spoke as they walked down the heavily decorated hallway, passing one closed door after another before coming to a stop before one in particular. He entered and waited for them to follow. The brothers tentatively stepped in, gaping in awe at the lavish bedroom that was before them.

Obviously decorated with more of a feminine motif, two smaller beds dominated the room with a large dressing table off in the corner. Trowa turned to thank the other boy and snorted when he found him missing.

"He's not very personable, is he? Much like you."

Heero ignored him to approach one of the beds, running a hand over the perfect blanket that adorned it.

Trowa appeared beside him, "Bet you never thought that we would sleep in a room this nice."

"You are right." Heero replied, taking a seat.

Trowa smiled at him and sat down on the other bed, bouncing on it for a bit before lying down.

"Very comfortable."

"Too bad we will only be able to sleep in them for one night."

"Yes…but imagine getting this bounty. We will be given a clean start too…we can have anything we want once this is over."

"And what do you want once this is over?" Heero asked him.

Trowa sat up and regarded him, "I don't know yet. You are all I have anymore so I will probably stick around with you, whatever it is you decide on."

"That's just it…I don't know either. I don't know if I can stop…we have built a life around it, have survived like this for so long."

"But don't you want to be able to go to a city without having to worry about anyone trying to gun you down?"

"That keeps it exciting."

Trowa truly didn't know if Heero was serious or not.

Either way he wanted to change the subject, "So what are we going to do until dinner? Stay cooped up in here?"

"We have to go over what we will need for this hunt."

"Horses…ammo…our guns back." Trowa put in.

"I was thinking a carriage. With a way to secure him. Rope, rations, some barrels of water. That is all that I can come up with right now but I will think on it through the night. We can see if Treize will purchase these items, since we have no money on us."  
Trowa chuckled, "Too bad they confiscated what loot we still had that the others didn't get to run off with."

"Indeed. I am going to rest until it is time for dinner. Be sure and wake me up for it." Heero said, laying down and closing his eyes.

Trowa stared at him and stood, exiting the room silently. Once he was in the hallway he picked up on a sound coming from a room to his left and he couldn't help but walk in that direction. It took him no time to identify the sounds as that of a sobbing woman and a peek through the cracked door confirmed it. Treize was half sitting on a large bed, arms wrapped around a woman with long brown hair that clung to her body in a feverish sweat. Her head was buried in his chest and her arms clung weakly to his waist. Trowa tore his eyes away from the heartbreaking sight, wanting to give the couple some privacy. It must have been hard on Treize…having to make a choice between his moral duty and his family. Of course, Heero and Trowa hadn't had a family in a long time and even then, they weren't worth the tears.

He came to a stop at the top of the stairs when a smell assaulted his senses, drawing him down and to the kitchen. Wufei stood over a wooden table chopping up what appeared to be a slab of beef with a pot of stew just beginning to boil off in a corner.

"That smells fantastic."

Wufei looked up at him and stared.

"Would you like some help? I have been told I am a fantastic cook myself…"

The other boy rattled off something in Chinese.

Trowa shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't understand-"

Wufei cut him off with another unintelligible comment and gestured around the room.

"I will just take that as a yes. I guess if I'm wrong I'll know soon enough." Trowa mumbled, walking over to the pot and stirring it.

"Heero, wake up."

Blue eyes snapped open and regarded the person above him.

"Dinner is ready."

Heero sat up and ran a hand over his face, standing.

"What have you been doing this whole time?" he questioned him.

Trowa chuckled, "I was helping cook dinner, if you could call it that."

"What do you mean?"

Trowa followed Heero out of the room, "I couldn't understand a damned thing that kid was saying. I don't know if I was doing something wrong but I judged it by the speed of his voice. He pretty much took over and wouldn't let me do anything but hand him things and stir. When Treize showed up though he seemed to calm down."

"Sounds lovely." Heero commented as they descended down the stairs.

Trowa took the lead at this point, guiding Heero to the kitchen where the other two men in the house were setting the table. There were only four spots.

"Is your wife not well enough to join?" Heero asked.

A sad look washed over Treize's face, "I am afraid not. I will bring something up to her once we finish."

"I am sorry to heart that."

"Sit wherever you boys want."

Heero and Trowa did just that, taking the seats nearest to them as Treize and Wufei laid pots and plates piled with food in the center. The brothers waited until they sat down and said grace before even picking up their spoons and forks.

"I have been thinking. We will probably visit the Maxwell Settlement first." Heero started the conversation midway through dinner.

Treize shared a look with Wufei, "Oh? Why not just go to where he was last seen?"

"I want to see this place for myself."

Treize nodded, "Very well. It's in the middle of nowhere…about one hundred and fifty miles southwest of Albuquerque."

"So what does he do? Just travels around New Mexico for the view?" Heero asked incredulously.

"No one knows what his motives are. We don't know if he has vendetta against someone or if he is just looking for something. But he is leaving a trail of destruction in his wake."

"We will probably need supplies-"

"Everything will be taken care of. Within reason, of course."

"Do you still have our guns?" Heero asked.

"Of course, they are upstairs."

Heero nodded, taking another bite of his food. It had been a long time since him or Trowa had eaten a meal at a table like this. Usually Trowa cooked for them over a fire in the middle of the desert.

"We can wake up early tomorrow morning to gather supplies. We should be able to head out by noon." he said after a moment.

"Sounds good to me. I will be deputizing you two to make your lives easier with this…just don't go abusing that power or I will take that privilege back and personally double the bounty on you." Treize informed, gesturing to the brothers with a fork.

"Deal." Heero and Trowa agreed at once.

"I trust the two of you. I really do believe that it was not coincidence that brought us together, but God's will. I know you boys don't care to hear about any of this but after you go through what you are about to, it may make you a believer. I am not going to tell you that it wont be life threatening or easy. I think that this is all meant to happen this way." Treize told them.

"No offense but your faith astounds me." Heero commented.

"How so?"

"I have just never been able to understand religion. There are so many people out there who all firmly believe that their religion is the true one…who is to say they are right? Who is to say they are wrong? We grew up outside of civilization for the most part so pardon me if those questions are answered in a religious text someplace." Heero explained without looking up from his plate.

Treize chuckled, "I am not one to force my beliefs onto others. Believe what you will…but I truly hope that you discover an answer to your questions soon."

"May I be excused?" Heero asked, standing.

"Of course."

"The dinner was fantastic. Thank you." Heero went on, leaving the room and heading upstairs.

Trowa watched him go, "May I be excused as well?"

"Yes."

Trowa went after Heero but not before hearing Wufei's voice mumble something to Treize.

AN: Chapter three is done! Hoping for more reviews…come on people, tell me what you think! I am having fun writing this but if you guys don't want me to continue I will stop. ;-;


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